inculcate

/ˈɪnkʌlkeɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈkʌlkeɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /in-ˈkəl-ˌkāt ˈin-(ˌ)/ (ame, mw)

inculcate — verb

  • inculcatepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • inculcateshe / she / it
  • inculcatedpast simple
  • inculcating-ing form

1. to teach someone a particular belief, value, or habit so firmly that they accept

1.動詞及物C2
釋義

to teach someone a particular belief, value, or habit so firmly that they accept it as part of their thinking, usually by repeating it many times.

例句

Diego's grandparents tried to inculcate a strong work ethic in him from a young age.

inculcate + noun + in + person — direct object is the belief

The school's daily morning assembly helped inculcate discipline and respect among the students.

inculcate + noun + among + group

同義詞
  • instill

    more common and slightly less formal than inculcate; used for feelings, values, and habits

  • implant

    carries a stronger metaphor of planting something deep; common in ideological or psychological contexts

  • ingrain

    emphasises permanence and deep embedding; often used in the passive voice ('ingrained in')

反義詞
  • eradicate

    to remove or destroy something completely; the opposite of implanting a belief

  • uproot

    to pull out from deep roots; suggests the belief was originally deeply held

文法句型

inculcate + belief/value/habit + in + person

inculcate + person + with + belief/value/habit

用法筆記

Two common syntactic patterns exist: 'inculcate + belief/value + in/into + person' is the most frequent; 'inculcate + person + with + belief/value' is an alternative but less common. The direct object is always an abstract concept (values, discipline, respect), never a person — you inculcate ideas, not people.

常見錯誤

⚠️ 'The coach inculcated teamwork in the players.' is the more frequent pattern (value + in + person). The alternative 'The coach inculcated the players with teamwork' (person + with + value) is grammatically acceptable but less common — prefer the first form in formal writing.

❌She inculcated French grammar in her students.
✅She taught French grammar to her students.
💡'inculcate' is for moral values and deeply held beliefs, not for factual knowledge or concrete skills.